Chain



Jan. 10, 1928.

L. E. FULFOR D CHAIN Filed July 28. 1926 IN V EN TOR. ,Le s/er .fz/foroz 1W fiat/M,

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Patented Jan. 10, 1928.

' UNITED STATES 1,655,763 PATENT OFFICE.

LESTER E. FULFORD, OF EDGEVVOOD, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO FULFORD MFG.CO., PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, A CORPORATION OF RHODE ISLAND.

CHAIN.

Application filed July 28,

'Ihis'inventicn relates to an improved construction of ornamental chainwhich may be used for bracelets, necklaces, handbags, umbrella handles,or other uses to which such a chain may be adapted; and the ob ect ofthis invention is to provide an ornamental chain of this character whichmay be cut from sheet stock and as readily assembled by a foldingprocess, either by machinery or by hand and is strong and durable and isalso quite ornamental in appearance.

A further object of the invention is to form a chain of thisconstruction, the body portion of each link being formed in the shape ofa loop with a bendable neck at one end thereof havin a head of a size tobe passed through the body loop of the next adjacent link and wingportions on the head adapted to be folded down in proximity to andengaging the body to connect and lock the links together.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction, as will be more fully described, andparticularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation illustrating one form of my improvedchain.

Figure 2 is a side elevation partly in section illustrating the mannerof connecting together the links of my improved chain.

Figure 3 shows one of the links as out or blanked from sheet stockproviding a body portion and a head portion, the head portion beingconnected to the body by means of a bendable neck portion.

Figure 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Figure 1, showing the head portionas having a lateral dimension suflicient to engage the side portions ofthe body loop to lock the links together.

Figure 5 is a top view showing two of the links of my improvedconstruction in position to connect them together.

It is found in practice of advantage to form a chain of a series ofornamental links in such shape that they may be connected by a foldingoperation and to form each link in the shape of a heart with a loop-likebody portion, and each link having a bendable neck portion extendingfrom the broad end of the heart, and to provide a head member on thefree end of the bendable neck with a lateral dimension of approximatelythat of 1926. Serial No. 125,422.

the body and a longitudinal dimension less than that of the body,whereby the head may be passed through the opening in the loop link andbe folded down in contact with or in proximity to the body of the loopto lock the links together, whereby the neck of one link engages thepointed end of the heartshaped loop of the next adjacent link forming achain which is very handsome and attractive in appearance; and thefollowing is a. detailed description of the present embodiment of myinvention and showing one form of link by which these advantageousresults may be accomplished With reference to the drawings, designatesthe body of my improved form of link which is preferably made of thinfiat stock out in heart shape and from the broad end of the heart I haveformed an extending neck portion 11 and on the outer or free end of theneck is formed an enlarged head member 12. This head member is hereinshown as being highly ornamental, its shape herein shown being in theform of a flourde-lis having laterally extending wing members l3 and apointed end 14. These laterally-extending wing members are preferably ofsubstantially the same lateral dimension as that of the body portion 10,and the longitudinal dimension of the head being less than the openingin the body portion of the link so that this head may be passed throughthe opening in the next adjacent link in the manner best illustrated inFigure 5 and the neck is then bent so as to cause the wings 13 of thehead to rest upon the side arms 14 of the loop, as best illustrated inFigure 4:, the neck portion 11 of one link engaging the narrow endportion 15 of the next adjacent heart-shaped link and the wings 13limiting the movement of the end portion 15 about the neck portion 10 soas to lock the links together while permitting considerable lateralmovement, the pointed portion 14 of the head extendin into the openspace of the loop preferably below the plane of the upper edge thereof.

My improved chain is very simple and practical in construction andhandsome and attractive in appearance.

The foregoing description is directed solely towards the constructionillustrated, but I desire itto be understood that I reserve theprivilege of resorting to all the mechanical changes to which the deviceis susceptible, the invention being defined and limited only by theterms of the appended claim.

Iclaim:

An ornamental chain formedof a series of connected links, each havingabody frame substantially heart-shaped in outline, and a head memberincluding an integral bendable link-connecting hook-shaped neck portionextending upwardly from the plane of 1 the bottom of the body frame,laterally-extending Wing portions on said head member arranged to extendacrossthe frame opening to engage opposite sides thereof on bending ofsaid neck portion, said neck portion being. adapted to receive the bodyframe of an adjacent link and said Wing portions acting to limit themovement of said received body frame about the neck portion.

In testin'l'onjy whereof I affix my signature.

LESTER E. FULFORD.

